Friday, 12 May 2017

Northumbria Police In Operation To Tackle Rogue Traders

Northumbria Police has taken part in a national initiative that tackles bogus callers and rogue traders who target vulnerable people.

Across the country police forces, Trading Standards, Department for Work and Pensions, Environment Agency, HM Revenue and Customs, the DVLA and VOSA the UK Border Agency Scambusters and other partners have worked together to catch rogue traders and to prevent people from becoming victims of crime.

The National Enforcement Day took place on Wednesday, May 10. The main focus of the day of action was on bogus and rogue traders who typically target areas where vulnerable people, including the elderly, live.

Rogue traders often offer gardening work or maintenance services at attractive rates but the quality of work is substandard, unnecessary or overpriced. They often use persuasive sales techniques to encourage people into making hasty decisions.

Northumbria Police motor patrol officers also took to the roads as part of the day of action and stopped around 40 vehicles. In addition to that, 25 other offences were identified. As part of the operation, officers from Operation Dragoon also helped carry out the vehicle stops with some successful results.

The campaign is being run by Operation Liberal (Police National Intelligence Unit) tackling Cross Border Criminality. All police forces across England Wales and Scotland are consortium members of Operation Liberal.

This is the 12th year that organisations, as part of a multi-agency campaign, have targeted rogue traders.

The last Rogue Trader Operation in 2016 saw nearly 300 people arrested, and nearly £3 Million worth of property recovered and over 5,000 vehicles inspected.

Rogue trading is a UK wide problem and evidence suggests that a number of distraction burglars’ network with each other and associate with rogue traders. Rogue traders often travel vast distances to commit offences, highlighting why having a national capability such as Operation Liberal is important.